Looking back at the past ‘rainbow year’ (June 2007 – present), I can’t help but feel proud of all our work and contributions to the community; through QWOC+ Boston, MadFemmePride, and my peripheral affiliations with other like-minded groups, change is happening… There are QWOC walking around, being screened at the MFA, planning events in PTown, being seen…

It all started last year with Optionz, the diversity pride party Femily and I decided we needed to have after such an overwhelmingly positive response to our “Unladylike” party at Umbria. It was clear that people were sick of the same old clubs, same venues, same kinds of people, and that the Boston queer scene needed a facelift. Where were all the queer women of color? Where were all the grown ‘n’ sexy, married-with-kids couples? Where were the STUDS? And since when were high femmes ostracized from lezziedom because they ‘confused’ people?

The state of the Boston scene was dismal, just dismal. And, in my humble opinion, the reason was because promoters were still running it. I still had to log on to Lesbiannightlife.com to find out what to do with myself every weekend. “Why?” I thought to myself, “In this age of web 2.0 social networking sites, free text messaging, crackberries and blogs, why am I okay with relinquishing social organizing power to THREE women?” Kristen Porter, Wendy Kelly, and Beth McGurr. Well-meaning they were, I’m sure, but the days of queers having no options but to go clubbing to meet other queers were over – or should’ve been. We’ve become much more than the rebellious, over-sexed, hot and sweaty clubbers the media makes us out to be, and our social scene should reflect that. Yes?

And, finally, it’s beginning to! People have house parties, organize wine-tastings, Obama fundraisers, nightclub options are not many but at least they’re always changing etc. And now, QWOC Week. Ah yes… stay tuned )